No Limits: Blow the CAP Off Your Capacity

by John C. Maxwell

The way you deal with difficulties and avoid feeling sorry for yourself can be as unique as you are. I love the way PGA pro golfer Richard Lee handles adversity on the course. He and I met and became friends at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. I’ve had the privilege of playing in that tournament a few times, twice with Richard. One year we made the playoffs! I will never forget the thrill I had on the first tee on Sunday when I received a golf umbrella that read, I MADE THE CUT AT THE AT&T PRO AM. It’s one of my prized possessions. Not many amateurs can say that. The other time we did terribly, finishing near the bottom of the standings. The year we did poorly, we went to dinner after we failed to make the cut to console ourselves and recover from our poor play. During dinner, one of the questions I asked Richard was “What’s the best advice you have ever received?” “Welcome the ball,” he answered. That intrigued me. Everyone around the table wanted him to explain that. “I play golf for a living,” he said. “Every shot is important to me. Any shot can either make me or break me in a tournament. “Early in my career my mother-in-law could see how when I had a bad shot, I would get really disappointed. And my negative emotions would start to fill my mind and hurt my play. “One day she said to me, ‘Richard, you will always have days when you make bad shots. Every golfer does. As you walk toward your ball you have a decision to make: Will I dread seeing the lie of my ball and begin ...